Yarn tube

ABSTRACT

A radially flexible and porous yarn tube is employed as the core for a yarn package wound on an uptwister in the last step of a throwing sequence. Without prior shrinking or rewinding, this yarn package is dyed, the yarn tube accommodating the forces attendant the shrinkage of the yarn. The tube may be cylindrical or conic and has a plurality of axial slats surrounding it, each slat being attached by a member capable of undergoing pantographic distension. A plurality of radial holds through the tubes and slats render the core porous.

United States Patent lnventor Max Steven Berger Water Street Road, Collegeville, Pa. 19426 Appl. No. 695,299 Filed Sept. 22, 1967 Patented Feb. 16, 1971 Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 621,252, Mar. 7, 1967, now abandoned.

YARN TUBE 29 Claims, 8 Drawing Figs. U.S. C1 ..242/1 18.11, 57/ 1 64 Int. Cl. B65h 75/24 Field ofSearch ..242/l18.11,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,065,526 12/1936 Huttinger 242/1 18.11 2,338,513 1/1944 Helm 242/118.l1

Primary Examiner-George F. Mautz Attorney-Robert F. Conrad ABSTRACT: A radially flexible and porous yarn tube is employed as the core for a yarn package wound on an uptwister ,in the last step of a throwing sequence. Without prior shrinking or rewinding, this yam package is dyed, the yarn tube accommodating the forces attendant the shrinkage of the yarn. The tube may be cylindrical or conic and has a plurality of axial slats surrounding it, each slat being attached by a member capable of undergoing pantographic distension. A

plurality of radial holes through the tubes and slats render the core porous.

PATENTED FEB] 6 19?: r 35631490 sum 1 OF 3 (p/e/o/e Aer) mnawrafa MX STEVEA/BEEGEE PATENTED FEB 1 6 mm sum 2 of 3 //V V5 7' 0/6 MAX STEVEN Ea /ease QU V n go O O nU YARN TUBE CROSS-REFERENCE This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 621,252 filed on Mar. 7, 1967, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to the yarn-throwing and packagedyeing arts and more particularly to a process of twisting and winding cotton, wool and synthetic yarns-having residual shrinkage-such as spun staple yarns or those formed from continuous multifilament fibers into packages suitable for package dyeing without the need for preshrinking and intermediate rewinding steps. The invention also relates to a particular type of yarn tube to serve as the core for such a package.

It has long been recognized in this art that the tendency of such yarns to undergo shrinkage at the temperature conditions prevailing during the dyeing treatment or other hot liquid treatment must be avoided or compensated for, lest undesirable effects such an uneven dyeing accompany the process. Many procedures have been proposed to cope with this problem, and some, which combine effectiveness and economic feasibility to varying degrees, have been adopted. A commonly employed technique is partially illustrated in FIG. 4 hereof. When subjecting a given yarn to a particular plying and/or twisting sequence, the last operation of which is performed on an uptwister, a disposable cardboard tube 8 having an inner surface of such diameter as to be conveniently gripped by the mandrel of the uptwisting machine is used as the winding core. The yarn package 7 thus created is then subjected to shrinking conditions in a steam box or autoclave in order to remove substantially all of the residual shrinkage in the yarn before the dyeing step. As the yarn undergoes this It is an object of this invention to provide a throwing process for yarns having significant residual shrinkage whereby the number of winding steps following the last twisting operation and until the completion of the package-dyeing operation is minimized. It is another object of this invention to provide such a process wherein the need for a separate shrinking step is eliminated.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a relatively inexpensive yarn tube which can be used in such a process as the core for the yarn package.

shrinkage it crushes the disposable cardboard tube in that sector 9 where the yarn surrounds the said tube. After the shrinking step, the yarn is rewound upon a porous yarn tube which acts as a suitable core for the subsequent package dyeing step, and the crushed disposable tube is discarded. Most frequently a so-called dye-tex tube is used as the core for this newly formed package. Such a tube is a right cylindrical rigid tube such as may be fashioned out of metal or a rigid plastic which may or may not be reinforced with fabric or fiber flock. A plurality of small radial holes pierce this tube to facilitate the radial passage of liquid dye therethrough. A plurality of yarn packages wound on such dye-tex tubes are then mounted in a dye kier much in the same manner as indicated in FIG. 2, whereupon liquid dye is pumped through the holes in the dyetex tubes and through the yarn package, the direction of pumping being periodically reversed in order to assure good permeation of the yarn package with the liquid dye. The yarn is then rewound once again, this-time onto the package to be used in the ensuing textile operation, e.g., a conical package for use on a knitting machine or a cylindrical one for use on a loom.

Those acquainted with this art will readily recognize the economic desirability of minimizing the number of winding operations in a process, inasmuch as each winding step involves not only a given amount of machine time and the labor required for donning and dofi'ing, but also the expense of providing yarn tubes for the packages. Where inexpensive disposable tubes, such as the cardboard tubes described above, are used this expense is in the nature of a unit cost for each tube wound. Where more expensive reusable permanent tubes are employed, the investment in these tubes must be considered. Thus it is clear that economies can be achieved, firstly in minimizing the number of winding operations required and secondly in employing a reusable tube which represents the lowest possible investment. These economies would be multiplied with the use of a tube which is not only a low investment reusable tube but also one which can function in such fashion as to minimize the number of required rewinding operations.

Still another objective of this invention is to provide a yarn tube which is both sufficiently porous to permit the passage of dye liquor or other treating liquid therethrough and radially deformable to permit the shrinkage of yarn wound thereupon; the tube being adapted both for mounting on a standard mandrel of an uptwisting machine as well as in a standard dye kier without an inhibition of or interference with its said capability for radial deformation.

Yet another objective of this invention is to provide yarn tubes of this character which are readily manufactured. Again another objective of this invention is to provide such yarn tubes which may be extruded in one operation.

The manner in which these and other objectives and advantages of the instant invention are achieved will become apparent to one with ordinary skill in this art upon considering this specification, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The yarn tube of the instant invention has a core in the shape of a frustum of a cone. This may be a cone of finite length, i.e. a cone in which the walls converge, or a cone of infinite length, i.e. a cylinder. The core'may be a continuous tube, or may be defined by a plurality of discontinuous elements held in position by the other elements of the yarn tube. The tubes of this invention serve as cores for yarn packages wound thereon. Yarn can be wound on the cylindrical tubes on an uptwister, the tubes being adapted to be gripped by the radially outwardly directed force exerted thereon by an uptwister mandrel which has been slid into the core of the tube.

The outside of the tube is surrounded by a plurality of slats, each of which extends essentially from one axial extremity of the tube to the other. The slats are rectangular in the case of a cylindrical tube and trapezoidal in the case of a conical tube. These slats collectively form the surface on which the yarn is wound and their spacing from the yarn core determines the diameter of the yarn package. By affixing these slats in a radially distensible fashion to the core of the tube, changes in the diameter of the yarn package can be accommodated.

Several forms of radially distensible means for connecting the slats to the core are disclosed. One is a rhomboid support which underlies the centerline of each slat and distends by pantographic action, i.e. by undergoing changes in the angles of the rhomboid support. Another distensible support employs two L-shaped members, one edge of each of which is attached to another of the lateral edges of a given slat. The two elements which form each L-shaped member may be joined to form substantially a right angle between them and the two members supporting a given slat may be oriented with respect to each other so that these right angles face away from each other. Distension occurs by changes in the magnitude of these angles.

The tubes of this invention are also adapted for mounting in a dye kier. A plurality of radial holes permit circulation of dye liquor or other treating fluid through the yarn package. Such a tube, which can be wound with yarn by circumferentially f rictionally driven uptwister, can serve as a core for a yarn package which can be shrunk during package dyeing or other hot liquid treatment without need for intermediate rewinding steps.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the accompanying drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective representation of one embodiment of a yarn tube of the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional representation of two yarn packages mounted in a conventional dye kier during the dyeing and shrinking step of the process of the instant invention, the lower of the two yarn packages shown being wound upon the type of yarn tube shown in FIG. 1 hereof, the upper package being wound upon another type of yarn tube;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional representation of another embodiment somewhat modified from that shown in FIG. 1, of the yarn tube of the instant invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective representation of a yarn package as prepared by prior art methods for shrinking and, below that of a crushed yarn tube used in that prior art process after the yarn package has been shrunk thereupon;

FIG. 5 is a perspective representation of another embodiment of the yarn tube of the instant invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective representation of still another embodiment of the yarn tube of the instant invention;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional representation of the yarn tube shown in FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional representation of yet another yarn tube of the instant invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INSTANT INVENTION Yarn Tube A yarn tube of the instant invention will be described with particular reference to FIG. 1 of the drawing. Such a yarn tube 1 may be fashioned out of a material which is sufiiciently flexible to permit the distensions required of the various portions of the tube to be described herein without being so limp as to lack resiliency. Thus, the tube may be fashioned out of a thermoplastic material such as polyethylene, polypropylene or other polyolefin, a polyamide or other material having similar physical properties; out of a thermosetting polymer system as, for instance, a resin-rubber blend which has sufficient resiliency; or out of sheet metal having sufficient springiness to hive the tube members their required resiliency. Of special advantage as materials of construction for the yarn tubes of the instant invention are those plastics which can be extruded into the desired shape.

Although the structure of all of the embodiments of the yarn tube of this invention is the same in essence, certain details of the structure of each are adapted to the particular service into which that particular embodiment is to be placed. The embodiment shown in FIG. 1 comprises a right cylindrical central tubular portion 31 which may conveniently have a length of 6% inches and an inside diameter of 1% inches so as to be readily gripped by the outside surface of a conventional uptwister mandrel. The axial terminals of cylindrical central portion 3] are flat, ringlike surfaces 30 suitable for being gripped in relatively liquid-tight relationship by the standard dished end plates 13 and 14 (FIG. 2) employed in conventional dye kiers, as will be further described hereinbelow. These surfaces 30 should therefore desirably be truly circular in nature for best results and of sufficient thickness to permit the said gripping action. This thickness will correspond to the wall thickness of the cylindrical portion of the tube where the entire tube is to be extruded.

A plurality of slats 33 surrounds the outside of the cylindricai portion of the tube. Each slat has a length substantially equal to the length of the cylindrical portion of the tube and is aligned generally parallel to the axis of the tube. Each slat is attached to the outer surface of the cylindrical portion 32 of the tube by a deformable member 34 which permits the radial movement of the slat relative to the cylindrical portion of the tube by pantographic action. The pantographic action of the deformable member is facilitated when each such member has a cross section which describes an equilateral four-sided figure that becomes rhomboid on deformation. Each deformable member may be disposed along the centerline of the slat which it supports, and be of the same general length as that slat. Alternatively, a plurality of short segments of the deformable member may be disposed beneath the centerline of each slat. However, if the tube is to be extruded, a single continuous deformable member beneath each slat running the length of the tube will prove easier to fabricate and will also assure better dye circulation in the process to be described below. It is important that the deformable members do not protrude axially beyond the plane formed by the end surfaces 30 of the cylindrical portion 31 of the tube for reasons which will become apparent in the description of the use of the tube during the dyeing step of the process of this invention.

A plurality of radial holes 35 penetrates the tube of the instant invention. Each hole passes in a radial direction from the outside surface of the particular slat which it penetrates, through such portion of the deformable member as may lie in its path and thence through the cylindrical portion of the tube to the inside surface thereof. While there is no need for the distribution of the holes to adhere to any particular pattern, it is desirable that all segments of the circumferential surface of the tube have substantially the same number of holes and that no substantial portion thereof be devoid of such holes. Thus, for instance, the tube shown in FIG. 1 has twelve radial holes uniformly spaced along the length of each slat and alternately disposed on opposite sides of the centerline thereof.

It will be seen that as the deformable members deform by undergoing pantographic action, the outside surfaces of the respective slats which they support will undergo radial movement. Thus, if the outside surfaces of the slats 33 are thought of, in their combined effect, as forming a relatively continuous quasi-cylindrical surface, the pantographic action of the deformable members has the effect of changing the outside diameter of that quasi-cylindrical surface.

Inasmuch as the yarn tube, when mounted on the uptwister is driven by a friction wheel which engages the periphery of the yarn package (i.e., the outer cylindrical surface of the tube as winding begins and, subsequently, the outer surface of the yarn package as it begins to form upon the tube), the open spaces between adjacent slats cannot be so large as to cause a nonuniform rate of driving by the friction wheel in the early stages of the formation of the yarn package. Generally, if the spaces between adjacent slats are no more than three-sixteenth inch, this effect will be substantially avoided. The minimum distance between adjacent slats should be such that when the slats have been drawn inwardly to their minimum radius, i.e., lying as closely as possible to the outside surface of the cylindrical portion of the tube, the edges of adjacent slats will not overlap so as to prevent the respective slats from lying flat.

It will be seen that the tube of the instant invention thus forms a quasi-cylindrical outer surface of variable diameter, the diameter being variable by radially inward pressure exerted upon the tube such as would occur when the yarn package wound upon it shrinks; the diameter of the quasicylindn'cal outer surface returning to its maximum due to the resilient nature of the tube when these external forces are released. At the same time, the resiliency of the tube must not be so great that the inner cylindrical surface of the tube will not be held fast by the gripping mechanism of the uptwister mandrel. Furthermore, the tube must also present at each of its axial extremities a ringlike surface of a certain diameter to permit it being held in the dye kier in the manner to be described below. Finally the tube must be porous so as to permit the passage of dye therethrough to the yarn package mounted thereupon.

Similar to the embodiment just described is the embodiment of this invention to be employed when the yarn, after dyeing or other processing is to be used in the form of a package known as a pencil tube." Such a yarn tube would have the same structure as that shown in FIG. 1, the inside diameter being five-eighth inch.

Where the yarn is ultimately to be utilized in the form of a cone-wound package, the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 5 is applicable. Instead of a right cylindrical body, this tube has a body 31c in the shape of a frustum of a right cone. A cone having a taper of 330" may be convenient. The slats 330 are tapered as required to avoid their overlapping each other. The axial extremities of the tube have circular surfaces 300, but these are not, of course, of equal diameter. In all other respects, this yarn tube is identical in structure to that described in detail hereinabove.

Another embodiment of the yarn tube of the instant inven- I tion is shown in FIG. 3. Here a plurality of axial slits 36 each running the length of the yarn tube sever the cylindrical portion of the tube. Each slit is disposed directly athwart the line of contact between the deformable member and cylindrical portion of the tube, severing it and the attached portion of the deformable members as well. By virtue of slits 36 the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion of the yarn tube may be enlarged as, for instance, in the event that it should be necessary to mount it upon a mandrel of larger diameter. The tube cannot, however, be compressed to a diameter smaller than that when the slits 36 are pressed shut. In addition, by virtue of the slits 36 all of the interior portions of the tube become continuous, thereby facilitating the manufacture of these tubes by an extrusion process. The inherent springiness of the deformable sections of the tube is such as to insure the cylindrical integrity of the tube despite the presence of slits 36 and to insure that the tube will nevertheless be gripped in substantially liquidtight fashion when mounted on the dye kier.

Still other embodiments of the invention are shown in or suggested by FIGS. 6-8. FIG. 6 depicts a yarn tube of the instant invention having, like the tube in FIG. 1, a right cylindrical tubular core 31 with fiat, ringlike surfaces at its respective axial extremities and a plurality of axial slats 33 surrounding the periphery of the core. Also like the tube in F IG. 1, this yarn tube has a plurality of radial holes 35.

The slats 33 are attached to the periphery of the tubular core by radially distensible members 36, each of which consists of a pair of elements 37 and 38 joined along a lateral edge 39 of each to form a generally L-shaped member which is radially distensible by virtue of its ability to flex at the crotch thereof and thereby change the magnitude of the included angle. A pair of radially distensible members 36 support each slat 33, one member at each lateral edge of the slat. In this embodiment, the pair of distensible members supporting any given slat are oriented with respect to each other so that the acute angles of their respective L-shapes face away from each other. Putting this another way, the sum of the included angles at the joints 39 of the members 36 supporting any given slat 33 is greater than 360". If these members are turned the other way, so that the sum of the included angles is less than 360, and the members are moved toward each other until they abut each other where they contact the slat 33 and the tube 30, we have the rhomboid support element of 34 of FIG. 1. All of these support elements can be said to be radially distensible by virtue of their pantographic action.

Still another variation of the invention is shown in FIG. 8. In this embodiment the core 30 of the tube is formed by a plurality of core segments 30a separated from each other by spaces 30b. Slats 33 are again radially distensibly supported on the core by generally L-shaped members 36, as in the embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7. But here members 36 and slats 33 sever the additional function of holding the elements 30a of core 30 together. It is to be noted that the diameter of core 30 remains essentially unchanged as slats 33 undergo radial distension. This is due to the fact that the radial distension of the slats 33 is accommodated by the pantographic action of the elements 36. This embodiment of the invention is particularly useful because the ease with which it can be extruded.

Yarn tubes of the types shown in FIGS. 6 through 8 can also be modified into the tapered conical construction of the tube in FIG. 5.

THE PROCESS OF THE INSTANT INVENTION As is well known to those familiar with this art, throwing processes are highly varied and individualistic in terms of the requirements for the amount and direction of twist to be applied to the singles and/or plies of the yarn, and therefore in the sequence of twisting and/or plying operations necessary to provide a yarn of any particular specification. The principle of this invention is applicable to those throwing processes in which the last operation is performed on an uptwister, i.e., on a twisting machine on which the yarn is wound upon a package while the same is being axially rotated by driving wheels in frictional engagement with the circumference thereof. The yarn supply package on such an uptwisting machine is rotated about its axis while the yarn is withdrawn axially therefrom, the ratio of the rate of rotation to the rate of withdrawal determining the amount of the twisting imparted to the yarn.

A yarn tube of suitable internal diameter and length is mounted on the uptwister mandrel to serve as the core for the yarn package being wound. This yarn tube is required to be porous to permit the passage of dye liquor therethrough and to have a generally cylindrical or at least quasi-cylindrical outer surface capable of being radially inwardly distended by the application thereto of the inward pressure which would result from the shrinkage of the yarn package wound upon it. The yarn tube must also be sufficiently resilient so that when the said inward pressure is released, the outside surface thereof will return to its original dimensions. A yarn tube of the instant invention such as described hereinabove and as depicted in FIG. 1, 3 or 5 hereof is preferable for this purpose. However, other types of yarn tubes which met these requirements may also be employed in the process of this invention. For instance, a standard dye-tex tube, to the outer cylindrical surface of which a resilient sponge layer of substantially uniform thickness has been affixed, may also be used.

After the yarn package has been wound upon this tube on the uptwister, the package is immediately ready for package dyeing or other subsequent liquid treatment such as sizing or finishing without any need for intermediate rewinding and/or shrinking. To this end, the yarn packages are mounted in a standard dye kier. As may be seen in FIG. 2, a dye kier may have a respectively, of mounting spindles Ill protruding from a surface 10. Each mounting spindle may be formed by a pair of flat metal strips intersecting to form a cross section having the appearance of a plus sign In this fashion, the spindle has structural rigidity while simultaneously creating a flow path for the dye liquor. Generally, two yarn packages 17 and 118 are mounted on each mounting spindle 11 in the dye kier in the manner shown in FIG. 2. Both upper and lower end plates 13 and 14, respectively are inserted into the axial extremities of the cylindrical portion of each yarn tube, the package thus formed then being placed on the mounting spindle II. Spacer 12 serves to preserve a clearance between lower package 17 and surface 10 of the dye kier. Upper yarn package 13 is mounted directly above package 17 in an analogous fashion. The entire assembly is held in place and made liquid-tight by drawing down nut 19 on thread 20 which is found on the upper end of mounting spindle 11.

Dye liquor or other treating fluid is pumped upwardly between the facets llf of mounting spindle Ill and spacer 12 into the volume defined by lower end plate 13, the inner cylindrical surface 16 of yarn tube 1 and upper end plate 14. The pressure exerted upon the dye or other liquid in this volume forces it outwardly through the radial holes 35 of the yarn tube 1 through deformable member 34 and slats 33 and thence into the yarn package 117. The number of holes 35 is so multitudinous that all portions of the yarn package are penetrated by the dye liquor assuring uniform dyeing. As the hot dye liquor reaches the yarn package, it serves to shrink the yarn as well as to dye it. The shrinkage in the yarn package 17 is accommodated by yarn tube 1 by deformations occurring in deformable members 34 permitting slats 33 to be forced radially inward toward the cylindrical portion 31 of the tube. Yarn package 18 on yarn tube 2 is similarly dyed.

To further assure uniformity of dyeing, it is customary after dye liquor has been pumped through the packages in the manner described for a period of time, to reverse the flow of dye liquor by applying suction where pressure was previously applied, thereby sucking the dye liquor back through the yarn package, inwardly through holes 35 into the said volume defined by inner cylindrical surface 16, upper end plate 14 and lower end plate 13 and downwardly around mounting spindle ll. Several cycles of pressure pumping and vacuum suction of dye liquor may be employed in a given dyeing process.

Different types of yarn tubes have been depicted as the cores for the upper and lower yarn packages in FIG. 2 solely for the purpose of illustration. More likely, one particular type of dye tube would be used in a given process although this is not essential for the successful use of the process of the instant invention. The tube employed as the core for upper yarn package 18 in FIG. 2 is a standard dye-tex tube 24 such as may be fashioned out of a reinforced phenolic plastic around which a layer 25 of foam rubber of polyurethane of substantially uniform cross section has been fastened. In this tube, the layer of sponge deforms to accommodate the shrinkage of the yarn. Before reusing tubes of this type, it may be necessary to remove the sponge from the tube, treat it with a material which restores its resiliency, such as urea, and then replace it.

It will be noted that it is essential to the success of the process of the instant invention that the yarn tube used as the core for the yarn package of the instant invention be capable of being gripped by end plates 13 and 14 of the dye kier in a relatively liquid-tight manner in such fashion that the yarn package will be held fast by this gripping action while the outer cylindrical or quasi-cylindrical surface thereof (as, for instance, the surface formed by the aggregate of the outer surface of slats 33 of yarn tube 1 or the outer surface of sponge layer 25 of yarn tube 2) remains unimpeded by the action of end plates 13 and 14 from undergoing radial contraction under the force of the shrinking yarn.

The following examples will further illustrate the process of the instant invention.

EXAMPLE I A number 69 polyester (Dacron) black thread having 13 s turns in the singles and nine z turns in the ply is to be prepared from 220 denier dacron yarn. Producers packages of yarn are placed on a downtwister and the yarn therefrom is singles twisted 13 turns per inch s. Three such ends are then plied together on a downtwister with two to four turns per inch 2 twist. This plied yarn is then placed on an uptwisting machine and given an additional five to seven (sufficient to make a total of nine) turns per inch of z twist, winding the yarn on a tube of the instant invention such as is shown in FIG. 1. A total of three winding steps have been employed. The yarn packages thus formed are then placed directly in the dye kier in the manner shown in FIG. 2 and simultaneously shrunk and dyed according to any desired dyeing procedure using, for instance, disperse, acid or basic dyes. Temperatures of 250 275 F. are generally used in dyeing, although temperatures up to 325 F. can be used.

After dyeing the yarn is immediately ready for use in the next textile operation such as knitting or weaving. If it is desired to use the yarn from a special package such as a pencil tube or a cone package, the yarn is first rewound to such a package. Or the yarn can be wound on to a pencil tube or conic tube of the instant invention as described hereinabove on the uptwister before dyeing, thus avoiding even this rewinding step. Whichever embodiment of yarn tube of the instant invention is used, after the yarn has been removed from it the tube is immediately ready for reuse.

EXAMPLE 2 By way of comparison, the process required for preparing the same yarn as described in example 1 without the use of the process of the instant invention will be described. The yarn singles are again downtwisted 13 turns per inch s, Three such ends are then plied on a downtwister with two to four turns per inch 2 twist. The plied yarn is then given another seven to five (to make a total of 13) turns per inch of finished twist on the uptwister, the package being formed on a disposable cardboard tube such as is shown in FIG. 4. The packages of yarn thus formed are placed into an autoclave or steam box where they are subjected to steam at temperature and pressure conditions sufficient to cause shrinking. After shrinking operation the yarn is redrawn from the collapsible cardboard tube cores to packages formed around dye-tex tubes as cores, without further twist being imparted to the yarn in the redrawing operation. The dye-tex tubes are then mounted in the dye kier and the yarn is dyed. Thereafter the yarn is rewound on disposable cores.

Although we have described herein what we consider at present to be the preferred embodiments of this invention, various changes and modifications obvious to those skilled in this art may be made therein without departing from the this spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. A liquid-pervious, radially distensible yam-winding tube comprising:

a dimensionally stable hollow core member having:

an inner surface adapted to be frictionally gripped by a mandrel exerting radially outwardly directed force thereon; and

surfaces at the respective axial extremities thereof adapted to be held by a pair of circular end-plates;

a plurality of axially aligned surface slats surrounding said core member;

radially distensible supporting means attaching each of said surface slats to the outer circumferential surface of said core member said supporting means capable of collapsing to bear against said core member when in the contracted state whereby the outer surfaces of said slats form a yarnwinding surface of variable diameter by virtue of distensions and concomitant contractions of said supporting means,

the spacing between adjacent slats being sufficient that when said radially distensible supporting means are in the fully contracted state none of said slats overlap any adjacent slat on the circumference of said tube; and

a plurality of radial perforations of said tube to permit the passage of liquid therethrough.

2. The tube of claim 1 wherein said mandrel and said yarnwinding surface are cylindrical.

3. The tube of claim 1 wherein said mandrel and said yarnwinding surface are each a frustum of a cone with converging walls.

4. The tube of claim 2 wherein said core member is a cylindrical tubular body.

5. The tube of claim 4 wherein said core member has circular edges at its respective axial extremities.

6. The tube of claim 3 wherein said core member is a frustoconical tubular body.

7. The tube of claim 6 wherein said core member has circular edges at its respective axial extremities.

8. A liquidpervious, radially distensible yam-winding tube comprising:

a dimensionally stable hollow core member having:

an inner surface adapted to be frictionally gripped by a frustoconical mandrel exerting radially outwardly directed force thereon; and

surfaces at the respective axial extremities thereof adapted to be held by a pair of circular end plates;

a plurality of axially aligned surface slats surrounding said core member;

radially distensible supporting means attaching each of said surface slats to the outer circumferential surface of said core member whereby the outer surfaces of said slats form a generally frustoconical yam-winding surface of variable diameter by virtue of distensions and concomitant contractions of said supporting means, and wherein said supporting means are each a structure of generally rhomboid cross section capable of distension by virtue of a flexing movement involving changes in the internal angles of said rhomboid structure; and

a plurality of radial perforations of said tube to permit the passage of liquid therethrough.

9. The tube of claim 8 wherein said structure of generally rhomboid cross section is formed by a pair of L-shaped members each capable of being flexed by virtue of changes in the angle included by the crotch thereof.

10. A liquid-pervious, radially distensible yam-winding tube comprising:

a dimensionally stable hollow core member having:

an inner surface adapted to be frictionally gripped by a frustoconical mandrel exerting radially outwardly directed force thereon; and

surfaces at the respective axial extremities thereof adapted to be held by a pair of circular end plates;

a plurality of axially aligned surface slats surrounding said core member;

radially distensible supporting means attaching each of said surface slats to the outer circumferential surface of said core member whereby the outer surfaces of said slats form a generally frustoconical yarn-winding surface of variable diameter by virtue of distensions and concomitant contractions of said supporting means, and wherein said supporting means are a plurality of striplike elements, pairs of strips being joined together along their respective lengths at a given angle to form a distensible member; and

a plurality of radial perforations of said tube to permit the passage of liquid therethrough.

11. The tube of claim 10 wherein said angle is substantially a right angle.

R2. The tube of claim 10 wherein a said surface slat is supported by a pair of said distensible members.

ill

19. The tube of claim 11W wherein an edge of each of said pair of distensible members contacts said surface slat adjacent another edge thereof.

20. A yarn-winding tube comprising:

a cylindrical hollow core;

a plurality of slats, each substantially longer than wide,

disposed on the outside of said core;

a pair of distensible elements attaching each slat to said core; and

each of said distensible elements comprising a pair of strips joined to each other along one edge of each to form an included angle between them.

21. The tube of claim 20 wherein said core is comprised of a plurality of circumferential segments, each extending substantially the entire axial length of said tube, and wherein one of each of said pair of distensible elements is attached to one of said circumferential segments and the other of said pair of distensible elements is attached to an adjacent circumferential element.

22. The tube of claim 20 wherein the sum of the included angles of said pair of distensible elements facing each other is 13. The tube of claim 12 wherein the sum of the included angles between the said elements forming each of said pair of distensible members supporting a given surface slat is less than 360.

14. The tube of claim 12 whereinthe sum of the included angles between the said elements forming each of said pair of distensible members supporting a given surface is more than 360.

15. The tube of claim 12 wherein one edge of each of said members contacts said surface slat substantially colinearly and another edge of each of said members contacts said core member substantially colinearly.

16. The tube of claim 12 wherein one edge of each of said members contacts said surface slat substantially along the centerline of the latter.

17. The tube of claim 12 wherein said core member comprises a plurality of circumferential segments each extending substantially the full axial length of the said tube and wherein an edge of one of said pair of distensible members is attached to one of said segments and the other of said pair is attached to an adjacent segment whereby the distension of said members results in the axial movement of said surface slat without substantially changing the inside diameter of said core member.

118. The tube of claim 14 wherein said core member comprises a plurality of circumferential segments each extending substantially the full axial length of the said tube and wherein an edge of one of said pair of distensible members is attached to one of said segments and the other of said pair is attached to an adjacent segment whereby the distension of said members results in the axial movement of said surface slat without substantially changing the inside diameter of said core member.

less than 360.

23. The tube of claim 20 wherein the sum of the included angles of said pair of distensible elements facing each other is more than 360.

24. A yam-winding tube comprising:

a central tubular portion having an inner surface adapted to be gripped by an uptwister mandrel and having welldefined circular edges adapted to be gripped for mounting in a dye kier;

a plurality of axially aligned slats substantially surrounding the outside surface of said tubular portion;

each of said slats being attached to the outside surface of said tubular portion by a flexible pantographic supporting member of generally rhomboid cross section;

the clearance between adjacent slats being sufficient to avoid overlapping thereof upon complete compression of their respective pantographic supporting members; and

a plurality of radial perforations of said tube to permit the passage of dye therethrough.

25. The tube of claim 24 wherein a plurality of axial slits, each underlying the line of contact between a pantographic support with said tubular portion, sever said tubular portion member.

26. The tube of claim 24 wherein right cylinder.

27. The tube of claim 24 wherein said tubular portion is a frustum of a cone and wherein said slats are tapered.

28. A yam-winding tube comprising:

a right cylindrical central tubular portion having an inner diameter adapted to be gripped by an uptwister mandrel and having well-defined circular edges adapted to be gripped for mounting in a dye kier;

a plurality of elongated slats each being attached to said cylindrical member by a deformable member said deformable means being capable of collapsing to bear against said core member when in the fully deformed state whereby said slat is capable of radially inward motion with respect to said cylindrical member and radially outward motion by virtue of the resiliency of said deformable member; and

said slats defining a quasi-cylindrical outer surface for said tube, the spacing between adjacent slats being sufficient that when said radially distensible supporting means are in the fully contracted state none of said slats overlap any adjacent slat on the circumference of said tube, and a plurality of radial holes piercing said tube from the inside of said cylindrical member to the outside of said slats, said holes being relatively uniformly distributed about the surface of said tube.

29. A yam-winding tube comprising:

a right cylindrical central tubular portion having an inner diameter adapted to be gripped by an uptwister mandrel said tubular portion is a and having well-defined circular edges adapted to be gripped for mounting in a dye kier;

plurality of elongated slats each being attached to said cylindrical member by a deformable member comprising a four-sided structure of generally rhomboid cross section, adapted to undergo pantographic deformation whereby said slat is capable of radially inward motion with respect to said cylindrical member and radially out- 

1. A liquid-pervious, radially distensible yarn-winding tube comprising: a dimensionally stable hollow core member having: an inner surface adapted to be frictionally gripped by a mandrel exerting radially outwardly directed force thereon; and surfaces at the respective axial extremities thereof adapted to be held by a pair of circular end-plates; a plurality of axially aligned surface slats surrounding said core member; radially distensible supporting means attaching each of said surface slats to the outer circumferential surface of said core member said supporting means capable of collapsing to bear against said core member when in the contracted state whereby the outer surfaces of said slats form a yarn-winding surface of variable diameter by virtue of distensions and concomitant contractions of said supporting means, the spacing between adjacent slats being sufficient that when said radially distensible supporting means are in the fully contracted state none of said slats overlap any adjacent slat on the circumference of said tube; and a plurality of radial perforations of said tube to permit the passage of liquid therethrough.
 2. The tube of claim 1 wherein said mandrel and said yarn-winding surface are cylindrical.
 3. The tube of claim 1 wherein said mandrel and said yarn-winding surface are each a frustum of a cone with converging walls.
 4. The tube of claim 2 wherein said core member is a cylindrical tubular body.
 5. The tube of claim 4 wherein said core member has circular edges at its respective axial extremities.
 6. The tube of claim 3 wherein said core member is a frustoconical tubular body.
 7. The tube of claim 6 wherein said core member has circular edges at its respective axial extremities.
 8. A liquid-pervious, radially distensible yarn-winding tube comprising: a dimensionally stable hollow core member having: an inner surface adapted to be frictionally gripped by a frustoconical mandrel exerting radially outwardly directed force thereon; and surfaces at the respective axial extremities thereof adapted to be held by a pair of circular end plates; a plurality of axially aligned surface slats surrounding said core member; radially distensible supporting means attaching each of said surface slats to the outer circumferential surface of said core member whereby the outer surfaces of said slats form a generally frustoconical yarn-winding surface of variable diameter by virtue of distensions and concomitant contractions of said supporting means, and wherein said supporting means are each a structure of generally rhomboid cross section capable of distension by virtue of a flexing movement involving changes in the internal angles of said rhomboid structure; and a plurality of radial perforations of said tube to permit the passage of liquid therethrough.
 9. The tube of claim 8 wherein said structure of generally rhomboid cross section is formed by a pair of L-shaped members each capable of being flexed by virtue of changes in the angle included by the crotch thereof.
 10. A liquid-pervious, radially distensible yarn-winding tube comprising: a dimensionally stable hollow core member having: an inner surface adapted to be frictionally gripped by a frustoconical mandrel exerting radially outwardly directed force thereon; and surfaces at the respective axial extremities thereof adapted to be held by a pair of circular end plates; a plurality of axially aligned surface slats surrounding said core member; radially distensible supporting means attaching each of said surface slats to the outer circumferential surface of said core member whereby the outer surfaces of said slats form a generally frustoconical yarn-winding surface of variable diameter by virtue of distensions and concomitant contractions of said supporting means, and wherein said supporting means are a plurality of striplike elements, pairs of strips being joined together along their respective lengths at a given angle to form a distensible member; and a plurality of radial perforations of said tube to permit the passage of liquid therethrough.
 11. The tube of claim 10 wherein said angle is substantially a right angle.
 12. The tube of claim 10 wherein a said surface slat is supported by a pair of said distensible members.
 13. The tube of claim 12 wherein the sum of the included angles between the said elements forming each of said pair of distensible members supporting a given surface slat is less than 360*.
 14. The tube of claim 12 wherein the sum of the included angles between the said elements forming each of said pair of distensible members supporting a given surface is more than 360*.
 15. The tube of claim 12 wherein one edge of each of said members contacts said surface slat substantially colinearly and another edge of each of said members contacts said core member substantially colinearly.
 16. The tube of claim 12 wherein one edge of each of said members contacts said surface slat substantially along the centerline of the latter.
 17. The tube of claim 12 wherein said core member comprises a plurality of circumferential segments each extending substantially the full axial length of the said tube and wherein an edge of one of said pair of distensible members is attached to one of said segments and the other of said pair is attached to an adjacent segment whereby the distension of said members results in the axial movement of said surface slat without substantially changing the inside diameter of said core member.
 18. The tube of claim 14 wherein said core member comprises a plurality of circumferential segments each extending substantially the full axial length of the said tube and wherein an edge of one of said pair of distensible members is attached to one of said segments and the other of said pair is attached to an adjacent segment whereby the distension of said members results in the axial movement of said surface slat without substantially changing the inside diameter of said core member.
 19. The tube of claim 18 wherein an edge of each of said pair of distensible members contacts said surface slat adjacent another edge thereof.
 20. A yarn-winding tube comprising: a cylindrical hollow core; a plurality of slats, each substantially longer than wide, disposed on the outside of said core; a pair of distensible elements attaching each slat to said core; and each of said distensible elements comprising a pair of strips joined to each other along one edge of each to form an included angle between them.
 21. The tube of claim 20 wherein said core is comprised of a plurality of circumferential segments, each extending substantially the entire axial length of said tube, and wherein one of each of said pair of distensible elements is attached to one of said circumferential segments and the other of said pair of distensible elements is attached to an adjacent circumferential element.
 22. The tube of claim 20 wherein the sum of the included angles of said pair of distensible elements facing each other is less than 360*.
 23. The tube of claim 20 wherein the sum of the included angles of said pair of distensible elements facing each other is more than 360*.
 24. A yarn-winding tube comprising: a central tubular portion having an inner surface adapted to be gripped by an uptwister mandrel and having well-defined circular edges adapted to be gripped for mounting in a dye kier; a plurality of axially aligned slats substantially surrounding the outside surface of said tubular portion; each of said slats being attached to the outside surface of said tubular portion by a flexible pantographic supporting member of generally rhomboid cross section; the clearance between adjacent slats being sufficient to avoid overlapping thereof upon complete compression of their respective pantographic supporting members; and a plurality of radial perforations of said tube to permit the passage of dye therethrough.
 25. The tube of claim 24 wherein a plurality of axial slits, each underlying the line of contact between a pantographic support with said tubular portion, sever said tubular portion member.
 26. The tube of claim 24 wherein said tubular portion is a right cylinder.
 27. The tube of claim 24 wherein said tubular portion is a frustum of a cone and wherein said slats are tapered.
 28. A yarn-winding tube comprising: a right cylindrical central tubular portion having An inner diameter adapted to be gripped by an uptwister mandrel and having well-defined circular edges adapted to be gripped for mounting in a dye kier; a plurality of elongated slats each being attached to said cylindrical member by a deformable member said deformable means being capable of collapsing to bear against said core member when in the fully deformed state whereby said slat is capable of radially inward motion with respect to said cylindrical member and radially outward motion by virtue of the resiliency of said deformable member; and said slats defining a quasi-cylindrical outer surface for said tube, the spacing between adjacent slats being sufficient that when said radially distensible supporting means are in the fully contracted state none of said slats overlap any adjacent slat on the circumference of said tube, and a plurality of radial holes piercing said tube from the inside of said cylindrical member to the outside of said slats, said holes being relatively uniformly distributed about the surface of said tube.
 29. A yarn-winding tube comprising: a right cylindrical central tubular portion having an inner diameter adapted to be gripped by an uptwister mandrel and having well-defined circular edges adapted to be gripped for mounting in a dye kier; a plurality of elongated slats each being attached to said cylindrical member by a deformable member comprising a four-sided structure of generally rhomboid cross section, adapted to undergo pantographic deformation whereby said slat is capable of radially inward motion with respect to said cylindrical member and radially outward motion by virtue of the resiliency of said deformable member; and said slats defining a quasi-cylindrical outer surface for said tube, and a plurality of radial holes piercing said tube from the inside of said cylindrical member to the outside of said slats, said holes being relatively uniformly distributed about the surface of said tube. 